Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies

You can make this sweet dough up to 4 days in advance; refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. Bake the cookies a day in advance, if desired; store in an airtight container for up to a week. Prep: 15 minutes, Chill: 30 minutes, Bake: 15 minutes.

You can make this sweet dough up to 4 days in advance; refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. Bake the cookies a day in advance, if desired; store in an airtight container for up to a week. Prep: 15 minutes, Chill: 30 minutes, Bake: 15 minutes.

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Ingredients

1/2 cup blanched, unsalted almonds

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

10 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325°.

Step 2

Combine almonds and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade; puree until almonds are finely ground, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Add flour and next 3 ingredients, and pulse several times. Add butter, and pulse until mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse meal.

Step 4

Whisk together egg and vanilla in a small bowl, and add to almond mixture. Pulse until dough becomes sticky.

Step 5

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, and knead several times to form a disk. (Dough will be soft.) Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

Step 6

Divide dough into 24 portions; roll each portion into a ball. Place balls on an ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Press a thumb into center of each cookie to make an indentation.